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Journalism of Courage
The first glimpse from the aircraft gets you hooked. Its every thing that one has ever envisaged of Kashmir snowcapped mountains playing peek-a-boo with the clouds. Yet,when you land in the valley,its the brown landscape of Srinagar that hits you first; that,and the presence of the men in uniform dotting the citys landscape.
Srinagar is pretty,in a forlorn way. The Indo-Saracenic architecture of the 15 th century Jamia Mosque in Nowhatta,though,is straight out of a fairy tale,with its 370 wooden pillars,arched gateways and a quiet courtyard. Hazratbal,one of Srinagars best-known shrines,on the left bank of the Dal lake,is equally breathtaking.
In January,the lake is frozen and good for ice-skating. But now in December,shikaras glide on the water carrying wide-eyed tourists or selling flowers,vegetables and other ware. Take a leisurely ride yourself to the floating market and look through shawls,wooden bric-a-brac and spices,or see the floating patch of vegetable gardens,hemmed in by willow trees that are used to make cricket bats.
Back on the shore,as you wander in the gardens that the Mughals had built at their favourite summer resort,you see traces of a bustling city that attracted tourists from all over the world. Now,there are few visitors,and most tourist draws need a facelift. But the city is still about romance. Make the most of it while you still can.
How to get there
Srinagar is two-and-a-half hour by plane from Kolkata Regular flights are operated by Jetlite. Ticket prices range from Rs 3,000 to Rs 5000.
Where to stay
Valley group of houseboats;
A range of super-deluxe houseboats on the Dal
Damage: Rs 4,000 per day
Contact: 0194 2403037
The Lalit Grand Palace Hotel:
Damage: There are various packages available depending on the season and the duration of your visit
Contact: 0194-2501001/ 2501002
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